2022 West Ottawa Thailand Conservation Expedition
| Travel Dates: | June 15, 2022 - June 29, 2022 |
| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: |
$2,590 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
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| Estimated Airfare: | $900 |
Tuition Calculator
There are two options for payment, including an interest-free installment plan. Follow whichever works best for your family.
Program Tuition: $2,590
Pay in Full
$2,590.00
due today
Payment Plan
Pay a $500 deposit at the time of enrollment and establish an interest-free monthly payment plan. If you enroll today, your estimated* monthly payments would be:
$232.23
per month
All prices in United States Dollars.
Thailand Conservation Expedition
There is a reason that Thailand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. It’s impressive geography ranges from forested mountains and thick jungles, to white sand beaches with towering limestone cliffs, to bright green rice paddies that extend for miles. Thailand has become increasingly more modern, as you’ll see during your visits in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, yet the Thais also pride themselves on maintaining their traditional culture, values, and lifestyle. Come discover for yourself what makes Thailand so unique and experience first-hand what this enchanting country is all about.
Conservation Expeditions
Conservation Expeditions bring travelers to the heart of the modern-day conservation movement. Whether building nurseries for sea turtle hatchlings in Costa Rica, snorkeling alongside sea lions in the Galapagos or teaching local school children in Thailand about the importance of wild elephants to their ecosystem, these trips make the wonders of our world, and our responsibility to protect them, abundantly apparent.
Program Highlights
Check out some of the featured experiences of your program!
Eat AMAZING Thai food!!
Volunteer at an elephant sanctuary
Stroll through a Bangkok flower market
Explore Wat Pho Temple in Bangkok
Tour the Grand Palace of Bangkok
Visit the Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary
The Itinerary
We do everything possible to run safe, engaging, and immersive programs for our travelers, but given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but if inclement weather pushes us off course or an unexpected opportunity arises which travelers are excited about, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA - Thailand | Fly from USA to Bangkok, Thailand. | Airplane |
| 2 | Bangkok | Sawatdee ka! Welcome to Bangkok, Thailand! Upon arrival, we'll rest before we hold an orientation meeting and cultural introduction. We will have some free time in the evening to explore the neighborhood around our guesthouse, soaking up the new sights, smells, and sounds! | Bangkok Guesthouse |
| 3 | Bangkok | Spend the day exploring the busy and bustling capital city with a longtail boat ride through the small canals of Chao Phraya River. We'll visit the impressive Grand Palace and the famous religious temples Wat Pho and Wat Arun. | Bangkok Guesthouse |
| 4 | Salakpra | Today we will head to Kanchanaburi Province. We will partner with the organization Bring the Elephant Home, and learn about wild elephant conservation, the farmer/elephant conflict in the area, what action is being taken to help, and how we can contribute! | Homestay |
| 5 | Salakpra | After having a traditional Thai breakfast in our homestay community, we'll have a busy day working in the tree nursery, helping the park rangers build a check dam in the wildlife sanctuary, and visiting a local school. | Homestay |
| 6 | Salakpra - Sai Yok | Team up with local community members and students in a tree planting event, to help sustain both local farmers and provide a larger habitat for the wild elephants. In the late afternoon, we'll head to Sai Yok National Park, where we'll spend the night camped on a houseboat, swimming in the river and sleeping underneath the stars. | Houseboat |
| 7 | Kanchanaburi | After an early morning boat cruise, we will make our way to an elephant sanctuary close by. We'll meet the elephant herd, feed them delicious treats, and bathe with them in the river. | Elephant Haven |
| 8 | Kanchanaburi | Spend time walking with your new friends in the forest, preparing their food, taking care of them, and helping with an ongoing reforestation project. | Elephant Haven |
| 9 | Kanchanaburi | Today we'll explore the town of Kanchanaburi. We will learn the art of Thai cuisine by visiting a local market and preparing a few dishes. Following lunch, we'll check out a karst cave and visit the Thai-Burmese Death-Railway, constructed during WWII. We will head back in the evening to take care of the elephants before bed. | Elephant Haven |
| 10 | Kanchanaburi - Kui Buri | We will wake up bright and early and head to Kui Buri National Park. Once we arrive, we'll go on a tour of the park and have our first opportunity to see elephants in the wild! | Kui Buri Resort |
| 11 | Kui Buri | After an early morning safari tour, we will begin our service project working alongside park rangers to help construct check dams and watering holes. In the late afternoon, we will take a tour of the surrounding farm plantations and relax at our guesthouse. | Kui Buri Resort |
| 12 | Kui Buri | We'll get an early start in the morning so we can have a full day on the island! Relax on the beach, and reflect on the past couple of weeks. | Kui Buri Resort |
| 13 | Koh Talu | Snorkel and kayak, take part in coral and sea turtle conservation, and go squid fishing! | Talu Island Resort |
| 14 | Koh Talu | On our last full day in Thailand we'll spend the afternoon relaxing on the island and then make your way back to Bangkok. If we have time, we'll visit one of Bangkok's famous malls, see a Thai movie, buy any last minute souvenirs, and have our last meal together! | Bangkok Guesthouse |
| 15 | Bangkok - USA | Say your goodbyes to Thailand, we're off to the U.S! | Your own bed! |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with locally-operated, three-star equivalent hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe.
The Bangkok Christian Guesthouse
Bangkok Guesthouse is centrally located as it’s walking distance from Bangkok’s Skytrain, market places, restaurants and other street food vendors. Bangkok Guesthouse can accommodate 2-3 students per room. Some of the amenities include private bathrooms, air conditioning and hot water. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the building keeps everyone feeling connected. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
Elephant Haven Thailand
Students will stay in a comfortable, air conditioned hotel that is located right next to the Elephant Sanctuary. Staying at the Elephant Haven offers students a once in a lifetime experience to interact with these magnificent creatures. Each room is equipped with a TV, private bathroom and hot shower. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the common areas keeps everyone feeling connected. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
Baan Chan Chai Resort – Kui Buri
Baan Chan Chai Resort is a comfortable guest house located near Kui Buri National Park. Students will be roomed in small bungalow style cabins and split between gender. Students can expect to be in double, triple or quadruple rooms based on the guest house availability. Wifi is available in the common areas and all rooms have AC. Meals will be prepared by staff members, and students will have the opportunity to participate in a cooking class with them prior to lunch one day.
Safety and Support
EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
This was a great opportunity for [my daughter]. Thank you for being so professional and for teaching her things we never could. It was awesome to work beside Smithsonian scientists and learn. Travel is such an education that cannot be taught in a classroom.
Kim
Parent of Emily, traveler on 2017 program to Panama
Your Adventure Includes
Estimated Airfare
In order to give our travelers the best possible price, we break out airfare from the Program Tuition. We will still handle all booking and ticketing via our flight partner who has access to special fares not available to the general public. Once confirmed, you will be invoiced for the flight roughly 75 days prior to travel.
Program Tuition Excludes: Premiere Travel insurance, baggage fees, airline minor fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on itinerary.
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Resource Center
Why should high school students travel abroad? What happens if a participant gets sick? How quickly do we need to enroll? We’re sure you have plenty of questions and we’ve got you covered! Visit our Resource Center to discover the answers to your most pressing questions and contact us anytime with additional questions.